Kitchen Equipment for Gluten-Free Baking Success

July 29, 2023

5 min reading time

Hello! It’s hard to believe that it’s almost the end of Summer break.

Let’s discuss what tools, equipment, and changes you’ll need to make in your kitchen for the best success in your new gluten-free lifestyle. I can’t call it a diet because that definition implies a temporal state. Most people who adhere to a gluten-free lifestyle do so due to health reasons, to control an autoimmune disease, or to manage an intolerance. This is a life-long, necessary way of life for me now. I have to maintain a strict gluten-free lifestyle due to Celiac Disease which is an autoimmune disease with no cure and no medical treatment.

First, a small kitchen scale is vital to accurate gluten-free baking and cooking. This is because the variety of gluten-free flours come in different textures, weights, and densities and thus there is no consistent way to measure different gluten-free flours by volume with a measuring cup. I recommend always measuring your gluten-free flours by weight. This kitchen scale is what I use multiple times at week every time I bake.

Next, and equally important in building your gluten-free kitchen, is to have designated utensils, cookware, and equipment. While you can wash items and studies have shown that this is adequate if done correctly, for peace of mind I (and most others with Celiac Disease that I know of) maintain designated areas and tools for their food preparation.

I recommend a few basics: a cutting board, various knives, cooking spoons, and a few basic pots and pans (you’ll find you don’t need too many, maybe a large skillet, 1-2 medium saucepans, and a large pot).

I recommend a singular cutting board for gluten-free food preparation because after repeated and long-term use your cutting board will develop grooves and cuts into the board that may become difficult to fully clean and remove all food particles from.

Having some designated knives for gluten-free food preparation is best due to the chance that you may not be able to always completely clean your knives and, for those with Celiac Disease, even trace amounts can make us violently ill. I have a set of knives and cutting board that I use daily and highly recommend this brand. This set also comes with a handy sharpener that is easy to pull out and give your selected knife a quick sharpening before use.

I recommend stainless steel pots and pans. These are excellent choices for cookware, can be used in the oven and on the stovetop, and don’t have harmful chemicals like non-stick-coated pots/pans do. While stainless steal pots and pans can be pricey, they last a lifetime and are of higher quality than less expensive, non-stick cookware. If you have heirloom cast iron pots and pans, I recommend not using these for your gluten-free cooking and baking since these can’t be washed with soap and water and have small grooves and areas that gluten proteins can remain, even after washing.

Organizing your pantry is helpful to ensure you can keep track of the gluten-free flours and ingredients used in gluten-free baking. I found that keeping my flours in air-tight containers keeps them the freshest without having to keep all of my opened flours in the refrigerator or freezer. I recommend buying a set that comes in several sizes so that you have a variety to choose from. Basic, all-purpose gluten-free flours usually come in 3-5 pound bags and would need large containers. Starches and singular flours (rice, teff, sorghum, amaranth) are usually purchased in 1-2 pound bags and would fit in a medium-sized container. Ingredients that are used in small amounts such as xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and cocoa powder would be best kept in small containers. This set of air-tight containers is what I use in my pantry and they work great! I highly recommend this brand because the lids snap on and don’t rely on suction (which when coated with starch lose their grip and won’t stay suctioned). This set comes with 4 large, 4 medium, 4 small, and 4 extra-small containers.

I also highly recommend investing in silicone baking mats. Using a non-stick barrier has been a life-saver for my baking sheets. These are a sustainable, reusable alternative to parchment paper (that has at most a few uses before it has to be thrown away). I went through 3 rolls of parchment paper before I decided to make the switch and I haven’t looked back. You can find a variety of sizes to fit your needs and tailor them to your baking dish/sheet dimensions. You can my silicone baking mats already pre-cut or you can buy a roll and cut it yourself. These are the ones I bought for my large baking sheets. I got my baking sheets at Sam’s. They came in a set of two and are “half-sheet sized” but despite the name are quite large and may not fit in smaller ovens. The dimensions are 21.4″ x 15.4″. You can find this size of baking sheet here.